title: ω-3 fatty acids attenuate mucosal inflammation in premature rat pups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease of premature infants. Although ω-3 fatty acids are known to have antiinflammatory effects, their effect against NEC remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mother rats fed a soybean-based, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)- or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-enriched diet from days 7 to 20 of gestation were examined. On day 20, the rat pups were delivered by abdominal incision, their intestines were removed, and messenger RNA was extracted. A rat NEC model was used to confirm the effects of ω-3 fatty acids on the inflamed intestine (n = 20-28). The expression of inflammatory molecules was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (n = 11-14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentrations of DHA and EPA in the intestine were significantly increased in the DHA and EPA groups (P < .01). The expression of the antiinflammatory prostaglandin E2 receptor EP3 was increased in the DHA (P < .05) and EPA groups (P < .01). In the NEC model, the reduced incidence of colitis was confirmed in the DHA and EPA groups. The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ was increased (P < .05), and the inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB α/β decreased in both the DHA (P < .01) and EPA groups (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that ω-3 fatty acids are beneficial for protecting the premature intestine from inflammation by regulating eicosanoid- and nuclear factor-κB-related metabolite expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. yohtsuka@juntendo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Kyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikuse
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Eisuke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inage
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshida
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007082:Ileum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D007225:Infant Food / Q000633:toxicity; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D023421:Models, Animal; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000187:drug effects; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D058308:Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP3 Subtype / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013024:Soybean Oil; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D016328:NF-kappa B; D047495:PPAR gamma; D058308:Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP3 Subtype; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D013024:Soybean Oil; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid